Obsession: You Failed, Jack
by BregoBeauty
Summary: Jackson Rippner’s obsession with Lisa Reisert is growing. She took him down and now he won’t stop until he finishes her. Part Two of 'Obsession' Series. EDITED.
1. Prologue

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Summary:** (Sequel to _Do My Part_) Jackson Rippner's obsession with Lisa Reisert is growing. She took him down and now he won't stop until he finishes her. Part Two of the 'Obsession' series.

**Prologue**

His job had been annoyingly simple. All he had to do was convince his target to make a phone call to terminate Charles Keefe and his family. There was semi-bad blood between his target and Keefe, which should have helped him. He had her father under watch and was prepared to order his death.

He had stalked her for eight weeks and learned every single detail about her pathetically boring life, even after spending eight years of longing for her.

Yet, he had still failed. He had failed a job for the first time ever.

_Lisa…_

She had been the reason behind all of his troubles. A lone woman with the courage to fight back. She should not have been able to, but she had tricked him. She had used the past against him.

But now, six months later, he was back, and this time, he would not fail.

Lisa Reisert was going to die and Jackson was going to kill her personally. It was time for his well-plotted revenge.

_No matter what, you still lose, Leese. You lose your life…_

No one had ever gotten under his skin as much as that annoying bitch had. Not even his adulterous wife…

_Do you fear me? Or have your forgotten me?_

She believed he was dead and buried six feet under. She thought she was safe. He had seen her at the funeral; watched her chuck the gold band at his grave. She had tried to cleanse herself of him, but that impossible. He was addicted to her and she had to have known it deep inside. She would never be rid of him.

_You won't be free of me until you die…_

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, this is probably my last story for a while, because I start college on Wednesday and I don't know how much time that will take out of my free time. I also probably start my second job on Monday, so updates won't be frequent, but I'll try and write long chapters to make up for it. Anyways, enjoy!

**COMPLETELY EDITED AS OF TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26TH, 2006.**


	2. Chapter One

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter One**

Six long months had passed since he had last seen Lisa Reisert up close. She had been standing over his broken and battered body as he had been hauled away by the paramedics. Afterwards, he was pronounced dead thanks to a few associates. He had been taken to a private hospital to recuperate, while an empty coffin had been buried in a grave marked with his name.

He had since reverted to his birth name—George King. According to common knowledge, he was a computer tech who lived in Miami and had never missed a day of work until a car accident landed him in the hospital. No one was smart enough to connect one of his 'business' trips and untimely 'accident' to the explosion at the Lux Atlantic and a hotel manager's tussle with a trained assassin.

Yes, according to the news, Jackson Rippner was an assassin. Not an assassination _manager_, but a cold-blooded _killer_.

_People these days— they never bother to double-check their facts before plastering it everywhere. _

To make a long story short, Lisa was a hero and he was nothing more than an amateurish killer.

But now was the time for his revenge. She had gotten him into trouble and bruised his ego. There had been a time where he had been determined to keep her alive and for himself, but no more. She was destined to die for her betrayal. No one betrayed him and lived.

Her death was already set in motion. There was nothing to stop him. His defeat had been the result of poor planning—an oversight—and now he was better than ever. His thoughts were clearer; his mind more organized. He was prepared for anything that she might try to throw at him.

She had let her defenses down now and he was almost ready to strike. She thought he was dead and he was exploiting her naiveté. She would soon learn that no one was safe from him. No one escaped his wrath.

* * *

Lisa Reisert was walking swiftly to her car, her reddish curls bouncing with each step. The dying sunlight struck the natural highlights, adding an extra sheen to it. Each purposeful step brought her closer to her final destination.

_Afraid of parking lots, huh, Leese?_

Her grip was tightening on her keys as she neared the vehicle, her slender finger resting on the panic button incase of danger. Her green eyes glanced around nervously; searching for an invisible predator. But it was not him that she was searching for because he was dead in her eyes.

_Who is it then, Lisa? Who is haunting your mind?_

The compact car chirped as she unlocked the door and climbed in. He noticed that first thing she did was re-lock the doors. Everyone else normally turned on the car first. Something was amiss with her that he had missed the first time around. Lisa Reisert was hiding a deep, dark secret.

She drove away and he followed in his silver, everyone-owns-one car. He was trying to blend in with normal folks, not drive a sleek or flashy car like he deserved. There was no payment for finishing Lisa Reisert off. All that he would receive for her death was sweet satisfaction.

She had single-handedly destroyed him and now he would destroy her from the inside out.

Not much had changed in her routine. She still worked at the hotel in a reduced capacity of hours and duties. She hung out with Cynthia, the desk clerk she had phoned on the plane, and indulged her father's endless phone calls and requests to visit her. She had moved on and let go of the events of the red-eye and her grandmother's death. At least she had on the outside.

_Are you hiding behind a mask again? Who is the real Lisa Reisert?_

* * *

Jackson returned to his lonely apartment and collapsed on the soft bed. Any day now, he would strike and Lisa would be his once more. There was no escaping him this time around. There was no room for error in his fool-proof plan.

She would be his prisoner until he either grew tired of her or she became too much of a hassle to keep around. Then, then he would be avenged and her gruesome murder would play out.

He was not sure if he would enjoy torturing her or killing her more. Both gave him a thrill—part of the reason why he was in this line of work.

_She'll get what's coming to her no matter what. She will suffer. She'll beg and plead, but I was lenient before and she abused my mercy. I was going to let her live, but no more. She has to die_. _Just like __Sofia__, she must die… _

Icy blue eyes flicked to the glossy photograph of her that he had taken recently with a telephoto lens as he learned her new routine inside and out. She was in mid-smile, chatting with Cynthia. There was a time when he had been determined to make her smile and now he was determined to make her scream.

Violence had overcome logic once more.

* * *

_They were in her father's house again. She was trying to run from him, but he was advancing. A long blade glittered in his grasp; hastily stolen from the cutting block. She had placed the island between them, but nothing was going to stop him. He leapt across the countertop and tackled her. _

_She cried out as he landed harshly on her. She fought to free herself, but he pressed into her and brought the knife up to her pale and exposed throat. _

_"See, Lisa? I'm not a failure. I'll finish the job—I'll kill you," he hissed, tracing a neat line with the blade. _

_She gasped as the steel nicked her flesh, eliciting blood. Her eyes were begging for forgiveness—for mercy. But he had none left for her. _

_"Aw, let me kiss it," he said, following the tender wound with his lips. She had frozen in horror. _

_"You know, I rather liked it when you fought. It makes the end so much more satisfying." _

_"Just kill me—end it already," Lisa begged him. "I can't take this anymore." _

_"What a shame. I rather liked you," he smirked, running a blood-dripping finger across her cheek. She trembled at his touch. "But as you wish…" _

_With that, he plunged the knife into her heart and twisted it. She had ruined his heart and now he would kill hers in return. Her eyes went wide and the blood came, gushing out from the vital organ as she took a few painful last breaths. Her crimson blood covered him and he smiled. _

_"I won, Leese. No matter what, I always win." _

**Author's Notes:**

That's a disturbing first chapter. I honestly have no clue where that came from. The last bit is a dream that Jackson had. A very demented dream… but a dream all the same. Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement. It makes my day and keeps me going. Thankfully, my insomnia is helping me find writing time since most of my daytime hours are used up. Sorry for any redundancies or mistakes. Enjoy!


	3. Chapter Two

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Two**

Jackson was unable to think straight anymore. All he could do was dwell upon Lisa Reisert and her betrayal. He had been betrayed by the sly hotel manager. She had been a sneaky little bitch and he had paid the price for her deception. She had deceived him—led him to believe that she was docile and would do the job. Just like _her_…

_You thought you were smart, Leese, but all you did was dig yourself a hole. And you're still digging it. She did the same thing—she never realized that she was digging a grave._

Today would be the day that all of her hopes and dreams came crashing down. Today was the day when he would reenter her life. He had been tracking her for over a month and was finally prepared to snatch her. She had eluded him for far too long.

The time had come for her demise. He had planned it down to the last detail. Her murder would be a spectacle and the best part of it was that no one would ever figure out that he was behind it. He was dead and no one except for his associates and boss were any wiser.

He would take her from the parking lot after her shift ended. He would steal her car, so as to convince everyone that she had left for the day. He had decided to actually take her back to her home rather than to his. Her death had to appear random—nothing could connect him to her. Removing her from her home and dumping her body somewhere else could ultimately give him away. Her torture and death would take place inside her sanctuary and all the weapons would be ones that he found in the house. He could leave no evidence of himself behind.

Lisa had to suffer and her time on earth was rapidly expiring.

_Enjoy it while it lasts. Soon, all you will know is pain. _

* * *

He waited for her in the parking lot. Surprisingly, she ended her shift early that day. But no matter… he was ready for her.

Lisa was running to her car, the sunlight spooking her. _So, we're not afraid of shadows are we?_

He hunted her; slinking around the cars surrounding hers, tracking her every movement—her every hurried breath. She had no idea what was coming to her. She did not know that he was stalking her and preparing to seize her. His fingers wrapped around the knife in his jacket pocket; the smooth blade reassuring him that everything would go according to plan.

The chirp sounded from her car and he sprung up from behind the SUV that concealed him. He threw one arm around her waist, pulling her close to his body, and placed the edge of the knife at her throat. She whimpered and squirmed in his grasp, her fingers searching for the panic button on her keys.

"Miss me, Leese?" he sharply hissed into her ear and she froze.

"Ja-Jackson?"

"The one and only."

"You-you're dead," she stammered, trying to crane her head around to catch a glimpse of him; the car keys in her hand forgotten. "I killed you."

"Only in your dreams. I'm very much alive and I've missed you so much."

Jackson spun her around to face him. Her startled green eyes were wide in fright as the blade glittered in the bright Miami sun.

"Please, let me go. I did what you asked…"

"No, you didn't Lisa. You turned around and stabbed me in the throat and fucked the entire plan up. You screwed up my life. In return, I'm taking yours. Now get in the car."

"No…" she whispered in disbelief.

"Get in the fucking car, Lisa. I don't want to hurt you yet, but believe me, I will."

She swallowed hard and obeyed, sliding into the front seat. Jackson dug into his pocket and produced a pair of handcuffs. He snapped one on her wrist and the other on the steering wheel. He snatched her keys before shutting her door. She sat immobilized; frozen by shock and fear.

He jaunted over to the other side and slipped into the passenger's seat. He produced the keys again and swung them around in her face to grab her attention. He started the engine.

"Now, drive," he snapped, glaring at her.

"Where?"

"Home, Leese. I want you to drive home_. Now_."

His voice had an icy edge to it. He was deadly serious.

Lisa shook slightly. Jackson pursed his lips and then waved the knife in her face. "Drive, or I start chopping off your fingers, Leese."

Tears streamed from her eyes. _Now's not the time for waterworks, Leese. Do what I tell you to do!_

He placed the blade on her right pinky finger, testing the soft skin. Gently, he cut into the flesh-covered appendage and Lisa snapped back to the reality. Both of her hands took the steering wheel and she swiftly guided her car from the parking spot.

"Good girl," he whispered into her ear, his lips kissing her hair as he spoke. "Was it really that hard?"

No response.

"Lisa, when someone asks a question, it is customary to respond."

"Yes," she replied softly, answering his earlier question.

"Peachy."

"What is that you want from me?" she questioned, swiveling her eyes to look at him as she drove.

"I want what you took from me. You stole my life, so I'm stealing yours in return. You can't escape this time."

"Why? Why come back now?" _A little slow today, aren't we, Leese? _

"It's simple, Leese. You figured I was long gone and your defenses went down. I finally healed from your little act of defiance and it was time to make the kill. You'll be dead before the week ends, Lisa."

The waterworks began.

"I'm not going to pretend to understand your pathetic female emotions this time around. Eyes on the road."

Lisa's grip on the steering wheel tightened; her knuckles turning white. Blood dripped from her wounded pinky but she ignored it. She ignored everything.

Jackson smirked and relaxed in his seat. She was already breaking.

_Who's pathetic now, Lisa?_

Next thing he knew, her little car was slamming into an SUV as she flipped the car around and into oncoming traffic.

**Author's Notes:**

I actually found time to write a new chapter! Woo, first day at my second job, and it's a slow one, so I managed to write. There's an evil cliffie at the end, but hopefully I'll get a chance to write some more soon because of the holiday. Jackson's being nasty this chapter, isn't he? Lisa decided that she rather take her death into her own hands that suffer at his hands. Enjoy and thanks for the reviews!


	4. Chapter Three

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Three**

Jackson groaned as he awoke. His head was pounded from a collision with the passenger side window. He touched his sore head and his pale hand came away sticky with his own crimson blood. _Shit, Lisa, you sure know how to screw things up…_

A glance to his left showed him an unmoving Lisa. She was leaning on the steering wheel; her seatbelt never having been fastened. Had he anticipated a crash, he would have forced her to buckle up, but with the handcuffs, she had been unable to. _Serves her right if she killed herself…_

"Leese," he hissed; his voice a low growl.

A quiet whimper reached his ear and he yanked her hair. The whimper grew louder as her eyes fluttered open.

"Nice try, but you just increased your torture. No sweet reprieve of death for a long time now, Lisa."

She moaned from the pain coursing through her body and shifted slightly in her seat. Her head was bleeding too from where she had struck the hard steering wheel. Luckily, no glass had shattered and they were both scratch free. Most likely they were bruised from being slammed around the car, but they had escaped any major injuries.

Lisa glared at him as he reached over and unlocked her handcuff. "So much for driving," he snarled, then unlocked his door and pulled her out after him.

The car had been run off the road and into a ditch. If no one reported the accident, then there was a good chance that it would be assumed that she had car trouble. If that happened, then he had more time in which to finish Lisa before the cops trailed him.

She yelped, but he ignored her cries. _She did it to herself. I had nothing to do with it._

" Jackson, you're hurting me," she protested.

"Well, that's just too damn bad."

Jackson pulled her along, hurrying her away from the scene of the accident before the police responded. No one tried to stop them as they took off on foot. He pulled her along as she tried in vain to fight his grip.

Lisa nearly broke free after she elbowed him harshly in the stomach. But he was quicker and sliced her arm with the knife he carried. She cried out and paused, allowing him to snatch her up. She screamed and cursed, but he ignored it all. _You're going to die, Lisa. That's all that matters now. I need to be rid of you and I will._

* * *

He ended up carrying her most of the way to her home. She had stubbornly refused to walk upon her own two feet. He had tired of dragging her after a while and just slung her over his shoulder. She had continued to fight him and kicked and punched at him. _I can't let her get under my skin again. She has to die._

Fresh blood dripped from the slash he had caused on her arm, ruining his suit jacket. Not that it mattered. He had already planned on burning his old clothes after he was finished killing her.

"Let go of me!" Lisa demanded as he deftly unlocked her front door.

"Um, no."

He unceremoniously dumped her on the couch. The instant she realized that she was free, she tried to jump from the couch and rush towards her door. Jackson saw the glint in her eyes; the realization that escape was possible.

He snatched her by the throat, squeezing tightly as she writhed in his unrelenting grasp.

"Can't breathe!" Lisa choked, struggling for air.

Jackson sneered at her. "Gee, I wonder why, Leese."

After a full minute of pressure, Lisa collapsed and he let her drop to the floor. He stepped over her limp body to bolt the front door and prepare for her torture session.

_Let the games begin, Leese…_

* * *

When Lisa regained consciousness awhile later, she found herself tied to a chair and Jackson seated casually on another chair across from her.

"So sleeping beauty has finally woken up. Good. Now we can finally get down to business," he sneered at her.

"If you're gonna kill me, just get it over with. I'm not a caged animal that you can poke with a stick," she said, her defiant attitude in full force.

"You're mine to do whatever I please with and don't you dare forget that, Leese. You'll die—in time."

_I'll make you scream and beg. Death will be a welcome relief at the end. But not for a while. We have yet to start._

"You're a sick bastard."

He smirked and then pulled her chair closer to him, scuffing the wood floor as he did. "Lisa, Lisa, you have no idea."

She fought against her restraints and rubbed her sore wrists raw. "How quaint, Jack," she remarked. "Telephone cords? Did the assassin shop run out of rope?" _Are you mocking me, Leese? _

Jackson's fury was plain as day and lifted his right hand and roughly backhanded Lisa across the face. She stifled a cry of pain and bit her lip.

He clenched her jaw in his hand and forced her to face him. "If you know what's good for you, you'll behave, Lisa. No smart-ass comments or you'll receive extra punishment. Do we understand?"

"Crystal clear, Jack."

Another smack. Lisa barely even flinched this time. _What is it going to take to get through to this bitch?_

He took his trusty knife and traced it down her bruised throat. Lisa's muscles tightened in anticipation of a cut. Without a word, Jackson continued, dragging the blade down her rumpled and stained blouse. He neatly sliced the buttons off and the silky fabric revealed her skin. He heard her swallow hard and saw her shift uncomfortably in the chair.

"Aw, what's wrong, Leese? Are you worried that I'm gonna strip all your clothes right now?"

She was shivering and it was not because of the cold. Her eyes were focused on the right side of her body. Curiously, he slipped her shirt away from that part of her skin and his icy gaze came to rest upon an angry red scar above her breast. _Is that why you are so afraid? Is this your deep, dark secret? _

"Did someone hurt you, Lisa, or did you just have an accident?"

Lisa was chewing on her lip; determined not to answer.

Frowning, he rested the knife on the scar. Lisa shook and he pressed harder, threatening to reopen the old wound.

"Yes!" she sobbed.

"Yes, what?" mocked Jackson, smirking.

"Someone hurt me."

"I really don't want to listen to your sob story right now, Lisa. I'm busy and you're just trying to distract me from—"

"I was raped," she blurted out.

**Author's Notes:**

Lisa's trying to inspire some compassion from him. The beginning of this chapter was a little unrealistic with them escaping on foot, and I'm sorry for that. It's really late and I'm running solely on caffeine. Sorry for any mistakes! Enjoy and thanks for the reviews!


	5. Chapter Four

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Four**

"Well, you have my sympathy, but now's not the time," Jackson snapped.

"Don't you have a heart?" Lisa questioned him; disbelief at his callousness written clearly upon her face.

"Nope."

"Do you want to know why you failed, Jack? Do you want to know why?" she tested, baiting him with her words.

He gritted his teeth. _The only failure here is you, Lisa. You let me down._

She ignored his silence and continued on. "You missed a big clue. You never knew everything about me."

_You're wrong. I do know everything about you and then some. _

"Enlighten me," he prompted; casually easing back into his own chair, arms crossed and knife in hand.

"You underestimated me. I told myself that it would never happen again. And I've kept my promise."

"So my mistake was failing to, what? See your pathetic female emotions?" he taunted. _Where did I start to lose control? This is my plan; not hers. MY well-deserved revenge. _

Lisa laughed at him. "You'll never understand… you're too inhuman to figure it out."

"You're the one that brought it up."

Her green eyes glared daggers at him and he was sure that if looks could kill, she would have carefully slit his throat about twenty times by now.

Jackson leaned forward again, perching on the edge of his chair. "Why so quiet now, Leese? Don't you have tons of questions for me?"

"This isn't all about you, Jack."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

She turned her head away from him; possibly to scope out a weapon or escape, or in order to avoid him. Neither one was going to happen around him. He snatched her chin and roughly forced her to face him.

"You're not getting away from me, so I suggest that you stop trying."

"Never."

"Lisa, your naïveté still surprises me. I'm the last person that you will ever see or speak to. You will never leave this house alive."

_Why are you being so thick-headed all of a sudden? Here was I thinking that you were the smart one. Oh, Lisa, Lisa, Lisa… _

"That's what you say now, but I've bested you before," she countered; a bit of hope sounding in her voice. She was clinging desperately to the past.

"Not without a little help from a pen," he smirked, showing her the angry red mark she had left upon his throat. "And you still couldn't manage to kill me properly."

"Maybe that's because I wasn't trying to kill you. Yet.'

"Growing a little feisty now, are we Leese? Whatever shall I do about that?" he pondered aloud.

"Go to fucking hell, Jack," Lisa snarled at him; surprisingly vicious from someone bound to a chair.

"That language doesn't suit you."

She shut her mouth angrily. _Ooo, the silent treatment. I'm sooo upset. Nice try, Leese. Better luck next time._

"What? No smart retort? I'm extremely disappointed in you, Lisa."

"You're a sad excuse for a living being," Lisa responded; the fire and fight back in her.

"If I were you—I'd choose my words rather carefully."

"Says the man with the big, scary knife," she mocked him. "Are we trying to compensate for something, Jack?"

Rage filled him. _How dare she speak to me like that? Insolent little bitch!_

"Would we like to find out, Leese? How 'bout a matching scar while we're at it?" he threatened her.

Lisa trembled, goosebumps appearing on her fragile flesh. "You wouldn't dare."

In a flash, his blade was poised above her left breast; ready to tear the delicate skin. Jackson himself was straddling her and pinning her to the chair with his weight as well as fear. She squirmed beneath him, but to no avail. He was not about to budge.

"Wouldn't I?" he sneered at her.

_She would be fun to use that way. It would add to her torture, but I can't do it yet. It's too soon right now. I have other matters to tend too…_

She yelped in pain as he cut into her flesh. He pressed a strong hand into her mouth to muffle the cry. Her eyes flicked around nervously and her breathing hastened.

Blood trailed down her skin; staining her bra and seeping through the remains of her blouse as it flowed downwards as dictated by the laws of gravity.

The sight of her blood did not sate his thirst for her suffering. He longed to see more of her crimson blood flowing from her body. He wanted to hear her beg and pled for release, and scream from the pain that he caused. She had betrayed him and he needed her to feel what she had done to him.

"What do you think now? Still think I won't rape you? I don't care if you've already been raped, Lisa. I will do whatever the hell I want to you. You belong to me."

"I belong to no one," Lisa hissed; biting her lip after she spoke in order to fight the pain.

The knife sliced through the center of her bra and down to the middle of her stomach. She gasped and fought her restraints; seeking escape from the torture and the agony that he was putting her through.

_You did this to yourself, Leese._ _All I asked for was a little bit of cooperation on your part, which you couldn't seem to give. So stop expecting it from me. Do unto others as they do unto you… _

Once he removed the blade, he smiled at his cruel rendition of the Y-shape created during autopsies. Lisa was shaking now as he once again sat back in his seat. From his chair, he wiped the large knife clean on her skirt.

"Kill me now," she asked him; eyes imploring him to end her torment.

"No, Leese, we're just getting started."

She closed her hurt-filled eyes for a fleeting moment and swallowed deeply. Jackson simply watched her with a curious, yet disinterested look.

"No," she announced solemnly. "We're finished."

He cocked his dark-haired head at her. _You wish, Lisa. You and I both know exactly how this is going to end… _

The next thing he knew, a sharp pain had filled his already sore head and he was falling to the ground.

_I'll kill you, Leese… You'll pay for this…_

**Author's Notes:**

Sorry that it took so long to get this chapter up. I started college yesterday after floating between three different houses and having no writing time. I finally found a spare minute to work and here's the result. Enjoy and thanks so much for all the reviews! They help keep me going.


	6. Chapter Five

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Warning:** I just upped the rating to M. This chapter is one of the reasons why. Mainly Jackson has really lost it and does some pretty nasty things to Lisa.

**Chapter Five**

When Jackson slowly began to regain consciousness, Lisa was busy freeing herself from her chair. She had tipped the chair over, after launching herself at him, and was now lying on her side. Her hands were free and she was furiously working at the knots binding her ankles to the chair.

He groaned and grabbed for his trusty knife. The world was still spinning as he crawled towards her. Just as she jumped to her feet, he pulled her back down.

Lisa let out a scream as he sought to pin her to the ground with his body. She writhed in his grasp as he pressed his weight into her. "No!" she shouted.

"You've been a bad girl, Leese, and bad girls are punished," he responded, resting his lips on her ear.

He could feel her small body tremble at his touch. Jackson smiled sadistically as his left hand roamed her sensitive flesh and his right hand pressed the knife blade into her throat. The tremors began to increase.

"Please, I'm begging you," Lisa whispered as tears flowed from her eyes.

"You can't stop it now— you've already sentenced yourself."

"Don't… please don't do this…" _Blabbering fool…_

"Do what?" inquired Jackson.

"Rape me," she said softly, closing her eyes as if it would block the pain.

"Is that what you want me to do? Do you want me to rape you, Lisa?"

"Noo…"

"That's just too damn bad, Leese. You know why? Because you told me that it scares you. You gave me the ammunition and then you went and pissed me off. Now, I have to hurt you," he stated matter-of-factly.

_She's not special. She thinks she is, but she is just another target. She's not different than anyone else that I've killed or tortured over the years. She is a common woman that needs to be punished._

Jackson slowly pushed her skirt up over her hips. Her fighting increased much to his barely-contained joy.

_If I do this, if I rape her, I could get caught. No, they can't catch me because I don't exist. I'm not in any of their databases. Plus, it will look more like a normal murder if I do it… _

"No," she whispered hoarsely as he slipped her panties off. "Don't…"

He unzipped and slipped off his pants. She struggled harder; throwing herself around in vain and trying her best to escape him. He pulled a washcloth that he had snatched from her bathroom earlier from his pocket and shoved it into her mouth to muffle her cries.

_See what you do to me, Leese? Do you know how long I've dreamed of this?_

Jackson entered her and she yelled loudly in protest. She was not about to give up without a fight. She knew that it was hopeless, yet she was determined to free herself. She could not let it happen again.

"Look at me, Lisa," he demanded as she tried to close her eyes and avoid watching him.

He yanked her chin and glared at her. "Open your eyes before I cut them out."

Tears fell as her vibrant green eyes opened up to glance at him. _Why?_ Her eyes were begging him.

He ignored her silent pleas. _She asked for it. It's just a job…nothing more._

When Jackson was finished with her, he lifted himself off her and let her crawl into a corner of the room to cry. She was curled up in a small ball and rocking back and forth.

He gave her a few moments to herself before invading her private corner and jerking her to her feet. She refused to stand and fell limply in his arms, sobbing still. He heaved her over his shoulder and carried her into the bathroom.

Jackson placed Lisa in the tub and rebound her wrists and ankles. He had learned over the years that the best place to torture someone without making a mess was in a bathroom. Not that he particularly cared about making a mess—it was not his place after all.

_I can see the headlines now— 'Hotel Manager Found Slaughtered in Home', 'Gruesome Murder Plays Out in _ _Miami__', '_ _Miami__ Tragedy Follows Explosion'. No one will ever catch me. _

"Just kill me now. You've already destroyed me," Lisa moaned.

"We haven't had all of our fun yet."

"You're a sick, twisted bastard," she accused.

"You'll get over it eventually," he smiled, patting her cheek before he stuffed the washcloth back in her mouth. Torture victims could get rather vocal.

He turned to his array of tools beside the tub. He gripped a simple hammer that Lisa had probably bought just to hang pictures. But, a hammer was a hammer and they could hurt like hell. "First thing's first—no more running away," he sneered, then raised the hammer.

He brought it down on her right knee first. Her body jerked and he laughed at her muffled screams. He brought the hammer back up again and then slammed it into her left knee.

Blood pooled in the tub and the delicious sound of shattering bones and cartilage had been rather satisfying for Jackson. Lisa could no longer run away from him. He had seen to that by ruthlessly shattering her kneecaps.

He had trapped her in her own bathtub.

"I'll be right back, Leese. Don't go anywhere," he teased before he got up and left her alone to scream and suffer.

Jackson wandered back into her kitchen to search for more weapons and to get a drink. All of this torment that he was putting her through made him thirsty. He was hungry too, but adrenaline had pushed him past that point. Human needs did not hold him down when he was working. He could do without the drink, but he felt that he deserved it. Plus it gave him time to plot out his next move.

As he searched the kitchen, a glass of cold ice tea in his hand, he pulled open a drawer and found a weapon to his delight.

It was a potato peeler.

_Perfect… _

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, this chapter is super disturbing. I have no clue where I keep getting these ideas. I need to stop watching CSI I guess and stop wandering around my house thinking of torture devices. I'm creepy myself out. Enjoy and thanks again for all the reviews!

Jo- Yup, Jackson's got more than just a few screws loose. Thanks! I really like tying the script into this story as well as the movie. I wasn't that impressed with the ending of the script either. Thanks again: )


	7. Chapter Six

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Six**

Jackson hurried back into the bathroom; potato peeler in hand. "Oh, Lisa…" he sang, and then suddenly stopped short.

His victim was lying slumped over in the tub and unmoving. She was no longer fighting to escape. _Has she finally died?_

He dropped the peeler and it clattered to the tile floor. Jackson did not hear it because he was too busy staring at Lisa. He bent down beside the tub and lifted up her head. Her eyelids were shut and she was unable to hold her head up. Her entire body, since it had been disturbed, was leaning solely on him.

"Leese, wake up," he said, tapping her cheek.

There was no response from Lisa. She did not even twitch at his touch.

"Lisa, this isn't funny. Wake up!"

He shook her violently, but still she did nothing.

"Fuck," he cursed and picked up a knife. He quickly sliced through her bonds and pulled her bleeding body out of the tub.

He carefully placed her on the tile floor; concerned and eager to examine her further. _Is she dying? After all of this work is she going to die on me before I can finish? Has she already died?_

Her body did not shift as he reached to check her pulse. It was still there; still beating along. It was weaker than he remembered and growing weaker still. Lisa was dying—there was no denying it.

_And now she's gone and put herself in some type of coma or catatonic state. This is just perfect… _

"You know we could have been very happy together if you had only played along," he whispered in her ear, savoring the feel of her soft skin against his lips. "But you had to go and save that adulterous man and his worthless family. You were always more concerned about everyone else than you were about yourself. And where did that get you, my dear Lisa? It got you nowhere…"

He sighed and allowed his icy blue eyes to flick over her still and blood-covered body. It hardly seemed right for such a beautiful woman to die looking no better than a piece of garbage.

_You shunned me when I cherished you. You drove me to this. You were just like her. Remember that, Lisa… _

Jackson carefully peeled her ruined clothes from her body. All he could see was fresh and crusted blood staining her pale skin. He grabbed a clean wash cloth and wet it.

_I shouldn't be doing this…she deserves to die this way. I shouldn't care at all._

Carefully, he dabbed away the blood from her face and then neck. He continued on; only stopping to rinse the cloth out every so often. Soon, he had cleaned her entire body and even bandaged her shattered knees.

_You don't deserve this, do you? You deserved better._

He slung her over his shoulder and carried her naked and mutilated body into her bedroom. He cautiously laid her down on the bed and then raided her closet for a suitable outfit. She deserved to die in an outfit that made her look good.

He quickly found a skirt and low-cut top that he liked as well a pair of panties and a bra. He leaned her body up against his while he slowly redressed her. Then he settled her back down.

"What a waste," he said; his voice filled with disgust.

Jackson hastily sprung to his feet and left the room. _It's only a matter of time before she either dies or wakes. I'll be waiting. You're mine, Lisa…_

* * *

_They were back in the airplane bathroom once more. __Jackson__ had Lisa trapped against one of the walls and she was struggling to free herself. _

_"Where do you think that you're going, Lisa?" he asked her, stroking her cheek with a finger. She shuddered. _

_"Please, just let me go." _

_"You don't really want me to do that, do you? You don't really want to leave already." _

_"Yes, I do." Lisa was shaking like a leaf in his grasp. _

_"C'mon, Leese. We both know that you're lying. I know what you want." _

_His lips traveled from her ear to her own lips. He then drew back, a sly smile upon his face. "You can't deny it, Lisa. I can see right through you." _

_His hands were traveling her body. Her shaking stopped and she let out a soft moan as his lips caressed her neck. _

_"That's right, Leese, just give in…" he whispered to her. _

* * *

Jackson shook himself awake from the day dream. _I can't think this way. I have a job to do. I can't let her interfere. She's already done enough damage. This has to stop here!_

He ran his hands through his dark hair and sighed deeply. He never should have taken the Keefe assignment. If he had only refused, then he would not have ended up in this mess. Lisa would never have become his obsession and he would still have had a life.

Well, as much of a life that he could have after being forced to slaughter the woman that loved him in order to save his own skin. The first woman that he could semi-trust after the betrayal he suffered years earlier.

_No attachments. It's the only thing that keeps you safe and sane in this business. It keeps you untouchable._

But Lisa Reisert was not his lover. Audra Fielding was not Lisa. They were two separate women from two different times in his life. Audra was the only woman that he had ever gone back to after one night besides his first wife and Lisa.

She had been his faithful bitch and waited for his return. She had been there to comfort him and relax him after the completion of a job. Then his employer at the time had worried that his young and rising managerial star was losing his focus.

Jackson—or George, rather—had been forced to kidnap and kill Audra in a manner very similar as to what he was doing to Lisa now. He had been twenty-four when he murdered Audra.

Four years had passed, but now his dirty deed was coming back to haunt him as Lisa lay dying in the other room.

_I don't love Lisa, I didn't love Audra, and I most certainly didn't love her. I shouldn't be worried about any of them or even slightly upset. They did it to themselves. I merely acquiesced to their wishes…_

**Author's Notes:**

Not a very long chapter, but I'm posting two chapters tomorrow and on Monday (hopefully) and that'll be the end of the story. Jackson's going to have a few flashback/dreams/memories over the next few chapters and it'll show what drove him to become this shell of a human. Don't worry, he's a still a twisted bastard. Thanks for the reviews and enjoy!


	8. Chapter Seven

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Seven**

_He had always been a hard worker. No one else in the company had his success rate at his age. His record was spotless and perfect. Not a single job had been failed and he was working on more complicated and high-profile jobs now. _

_George King was an invaluable employee. He never questioned his bosses or his orders—he just did as he was told. He organized and put his obsessive compulsive disorder to good use. He had tried to cover up and control his OCD before he had become a manager. But as luck would have it, OCD was an asset in his business. Even if his boss had decided to finally medicate him... _

_His need for meticulous detail had driven him to create flawless plans, as well as contingency plans. His teams were always well-prepared for anything that they might run into. It was the reason for his success. _

_He was only twenty-four and he was already a leading manager in an assassination company. _

_Jackson knew that one day he would strike out on his own and become an independent contractor and pick-and-choose his jobs carefully. But until then, he would be the loyal dog that he had always been. _

_You did not bite the hand that fed you in the fast-paced, high-profile world that he conducted business in. _

* * *

_"Audra? It's George," he called cheerfully as he entered the apartment of his so-called girlfriend, Audra Fielding. _

_He was fresh off a plane from Europe, where he had just completed the successful hand-over of his plans for an upcoming political assassination. His team was in place and armed and now it was time for him to unwind. That's where Audra came in. _

_"Audra? Where are you hiding? Are you playing some kind of game with me?" _

_He had known Audra ever since high school. As a matter of fact, when they were younger, she had lived on the same street as the crabby aunt who had taken him in. His parents were killed in a car accident when he was a kid—a story that he often twisted to suit his own needs when working on a job. _

_Jackson hated liars and despised lying to people. He had slit the throats of underlings that had lied directly to his face. Lying had no place in management. If you lied on a plan, or based one off a lie; then the entire thing could easily blow up in your face. _

_Half-truths were the way to go. _

_"Audra?" he called again, growing testy as he searched the small, one bedroom apartment. _

This is apparently what I get for choosing such a bimbo…

_True, Audra was as blonde and stupid as they came, but she was unusually faithful to him. He was far from faithful to her, but she never knew and he had not forced her to be faithful to him. She could easily leave him at any time or refuse him. He could easily move on. _

_The truth was, despite her tarnished reputation as a slut, Audra was worth coming back to. She was good at her 'job' and he enjoyed her. _

_He was not stupid enough to think that he loved her. She might have some foolish notation that she was in love with him and he with her, but there was no much thing. Assassination managers did not love anyone. They loved their work; not other humans. _

_"Fine, I just won't come back anymore," he snapped as he entered the bedroom, ticked at having to search the entire apartment. "This will be the last time…" _

_"You're right, Mr. King. This will be the last time," sneered an unfamiliar voice. _

_Jackson's icy blue eyes narrowed. In the bedroom, bound and gagged, lay Audra and seated beside her—with a gun pointed at her head—was a man in a well-tailored suit. It was a company man. _

_"What are you doing here?" Jackson hissed, automatically reaching into his jacket pocket for his trusty knife—a 12-inch KA-BAR that had severed him well in his career. _

_"The company sent me," the man explained and Jackson snorted. "It seems that you've become too involved and the boss is worried that you're getting sloppy." _

_"Sloppy? I've never been better!" he snapped angrily. _Since I murdered that lying whore, I've done nothing but improve!

_"I'm just the messenger." _

_"Well, go piss off." _

_"I can't do that. I'm here to make sure that you do what needs to be done." _

_He raised an eyebrow. "What needs to be done? What the fuck are you talking about?" _

_"It seems Miss Fielding is affecting your work. You have been assigned to terminate her." Audra let out a pitiful, muffled whimper. _

_"I'm not a low-level assassin. I'm a manager. I don't do the dirty work," scoffed Jackson_I'm not even George King, asshole. The name's Jackson Rippner…

_"You do now. You are to torture and kill Miss Fielding in a manner that will look, well, normal. Make sure that you aren't traceable." _

_"What the fuck is going on?" he demanded, confused at this stranger's words. _

_"Why, Mr. King, you are to kill her after torturing her and make it look like an accident. I'm sure you'll think of something. After all, you are a manager," smirked the messenger. "If you don't, I must regret that you will die instead. So which will it be? Your life or hers?" _

_Audra was shaking her head at him, pleading to be saved. _

_"I think you know the answer to that." _

_"Good. I'll leave you to it then." _

_The messenger stood up and handed Jackson the gun that he held. "You might want this," he smiled and then let himself out. _

_Jackson__ turned to Audra, his face an emotionless mask. _No emotions can be allowed. This is just a job. She's brought this upon herself. Someone connected her to me and now this is her punishment. It's only a job…just like _her_.

**Author's Notes:**

Yes, George is good old Jackson. This flashback is the beginning of his slid into inhumanity. The rest of it – the actual kill – will be in the next chapter. Thanks for the reviews!


	9. Chapter Eight

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to_ Red Eye_!

**Chapter Eight**

_"So it comes down to you or my life. I think we both know what my choice is, don't we, Audra?" Jackson questioned harshly. _

_ She just stared up at him with frightened eyes. Disgusted, he picked her up and deposited her in the bathtub. _

_ "Did you know that the bathroom and bedroom are the two most often used places for a murder?" he said to her, smiling. "The bedroom usually signifies that the murder was related to a sexual nature—such as a cheating spouse—and bathroom is just easier to clean up." _

_ He left her alone to gather some supplies from the kitchen. Household objects were the best murder instruments because they never led back to the murderer. After today, that's exactly what he would be—a garden-variety murderer. There was nothing special about what he was doing and the only pride that he could revel in would be getting away with it. _

_ Murder did not require brilliance. Torture did not either. Planning did. _

_ Scowling, he stomped back into the bathroom; knives, an iron mallet, and a telephone cord in hand. Audra was struggling to escape the tub when he re-entered. She froze when she noticed him. _

_ He placed his make-shift weapons on the ground and ripped the duct tape from her mouth. "What did you think you were doing?" he hissed. "Did you think that you would actually sneak by me?" _

_ "George, don't do this. You can't kill me. I love you," she pleaded, a half-choked sob following her words. _

_ "What is love, Audra? It's only a sham—a lie. It's nothing. It means nothing." _

_ She sobbed loudly; her breaths coming in great gasps. _

_ "Tell you what, since I'm such a nice guy, I'll fuck you one more time before you die. How's that sound? I won't rape you— I'll just sleep with you." _

_ Surprisingly, the sobbing stopped. "Where?" _

_ "In the bed, in the tub, on the floor—wherever you want it." _

_ "The tub's too cramped…" she said aloud, thinking. Jackson rolled his eyes. "How 'bout the bed?" _

_ "Works for me," he said, scooping her up and carrying her back into the bedroom. _

_ After dropping her on the bed, he sliced her wrists free from the duct tape and then placed them around the headboard. _

_ "What are you doing?" Audra asked him. _

_ "Just securing you," he replied, slapping on some duct tape from the roll that the messenger had left behind. _

_ She nodded and smiled at him. He left the bed and returned to the bathroom. _

I only have one shot at this. It's just like any other job. There's no room for error—no emotion. It doesn't matter what I think about her. It's a job.

_ Sighing, he gathered up a knife and the telephone cord and stuffed them into his pocket. He would end up killing her in the bedroom now. It would easier to kill her when she was in the midst of pleasure and more surprising that way. _

No, I can't chance fucking her. They might be able to track me that way or link me to anything else I do. I can't do that. I'll let her think that, but I can't. I'm a liar now. I'm no better than her.

_Grim, yet determined, __ Jackson crawled onto the bed with her. She was smiling at him. _

_ "So is this akin to a last wish?" she asked. _

_ "Yes, so do you have any last words?" _

_ "Last words? George, what are you—" _

_ He wrapped the telephone cord around her neck and choked off her sentence. _

I'm not George. There is no more George. George King is dead. I'm Jackson Rippner now—I have been Jackson. Now, I'm your killer…

_As she struggled and coughed, he went to work with his knife. He stabbed her in the arms, the legs, the chest, and then watched her bleed from the wounds he caused. He carefully knotted the cord around her throat. _

_ She was suffocating because of him. _

_ Her garbled screams grew older quickly and he slashed her throat. She choked on her own blood for a precious few seconds. He had slit her carotid artery. She was dead. _

I did this. I killed her.

_ He stood up and then stumbled into the bathroom. He turned on the cold water and furiously began scrubbing his blood-stained hands. His suit was ruined; luckily it had not been one of his favorites. _

_ Once satisfied with the cleanliness of his hands, he stumbled back into the bedroom. _

_ "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he snarled as he looked at her lifeless body. It was too hurried and there was not nearly enough rage. _

_ He hurried back into the bathroom and grabbed the iron mallet. Like a man possessed, Jackson attacked her dead body with it, shattering bones and cracking others. He even managed to smash most of her face in. She was virtually unrecognizable once he was finished with her. Just like she should have been. That hated face was finished. _

_ Jackson collapsed on the floor beside the bed and put his head into his hands. "What have I done?" he moaned to himself. _

_ His head ached form the sounds of her screams. Suddenly he heard sirens and knew that he had to leave. _

_ "I'm sorry," he whispered before disappearing out the door. The police would be by shortly and he could not risk getting caught. _

I never meant to hurt anyone…

**Author's Notes:**

Jackson is one twisted person… woo. That's a rage the likes of which I've never seen before. He was probably mad at himself and saw himself instead of her. Plus the entire 'it's a job' thing probably helped him as well as the fact that he didn't really care for her. Poor Audra… Anyways, thanks for the reviews and we'll see what's happening with Lisa in the next chapter.


	10. Chapter Nine

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Nine**

A loud moan grabbed Jackson's attention and shook him out of his memories. He rushed into the bedroom, where Lisa was stirring. Her frail body was leaning against the headboard and her face showed her complete and utter agony.

_I did this. I broke her._

"You," she gasped softly, breathing heavily.

"Leese," he smiled at her and then sat down beside her. "How nice of you to join me again."

"No."

"No, what?"

"Get away from me, you piece of shit…"

Lisa's green eyes were hateful and sharp. _What, no waterworks? I'm shocked._

"Stay away from me," she ordered, fumbling with something under the covers.

His eyes narrowed and he leaned closer. "I think not, sweetheart. Remember, you belong to me now."

Jackson moved into kiss her, and his lips forced themselves on hers. His tongue slipped into her shocked mouth and he smirked. But his pleasure came to a painful end when Lisa bit him.

His tongue throbbed and he smacked her soundly for daring to harm him. She tried not to shrink away in fear and attemped to stay strong. _I can see right through you, Lisa. I can tell that you are weak. You can't hope to win against me. _

"Do we remember what happens to bad girls, Lisa? How did I punish you last time? Tell me."

Her eyes shut against the painful memories and she bit her lip.

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Tell me, Lisa," he said coldly. "What did I do to you last time? Huh? Did we already forget?"

One of his hands trailed down her thigh and she twitched at his touch.

"Lisa, I'm waiting."

She swallowed and whispered, with tears in her eyes, "You raped me."

"Good girl. Now what should I do to you again for being bad?"

"Punish me." She refused to look him in the face and her defiance was gone. He had successfully broken her again.

"How, Leese? How should I be punishing you? Hmm?"

"You want to… rape me again."

"Excellent. You're learning."

Jackson pulled her down the bed and away from the headboard. She refused to fight back; probably owing to the fact that she could no longer kick him. He carefully pulled himself over her battered body.

She cried out in pain and he silenced her with a hand over her mouth. "No screaming, Lisa. Not yet."

She silently swallowed and he heard her sniffle. _Here comes the waterworks, right?_

"What?" he snapped.

His only response was a single, silenced shot. It threw him backwards as it hit his shoulder.

"Lisa, what are you doing?"

Another shot, this one closer to his heart.

"Leese… be careful. I don't want you shooting yourself," he teased. _She'll never kill me. She's too damn weak._

"Shut the fuck up, Jack."

BANG! A bullet struck his head and Jackson tumbled off the bed. He fell silent as he watched the blood dripping from his wounds onto the floor.

_I'll confuse her. She'll think she's killed me and then I'll get the upper hand again. She can't beat me. I'm not a failure. I'm not like _ _Sofia__… _

A loud thump sounded as Lisa rolled herself off the bed. She was now dragging herself across the floor, desperate to reach a phone. _Now's my chance._

As she started to pass him, his left hand enclosed around her left wrist. She screamed aloud and gazed at him with horror-filled eyes. He smiled back.

"Nice try, Leese. I'm still alive though."

"No!" she cried out. "NOOO!!!"

He set his jaw into a straight line and yanked her to the ground. His hands found themselves encircling her throat as she punched at him. Her legs were useless, but she was still determined to fight him off.

"NOOO!!!" Her ear-shattering scream was pissing him off. Suddenly, as he squeezed, it faded into a faint, hiss-like whisper.

"That's it," he whispered to her, smirking madly. "Embrace the darkness, Lisa. It's your friend."

She was fading fast.

But he was losing strength too. Finally, it was too much and he released his hold and collapsed on the floor beside her unmoving body.

As he was facing the encroaching darkness, he heard the door break down and the police enter.

_We'll meet again, Lisa. I'm not finished with you by far. I'll never be finished. You will be mine… _

**Author's Notes:**

Jackson always seems to find himself on the floor when the cops come. Anyways, only one more chapter to go and it acts similar to an epilogue. Thanks for making it this far and for reviewing!


	11. Chapter Ten

**You Failed, Jack**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything related to _Red Eye_!

**Chapter Ten**

It had been nine months since Lisa had been wrenched from his grasp. His claws had been ripped loose from her and he had been taken away. It was so that he could 'heal' according to the doctors.

For nine months, he suffered alone, always wondering if he would ever see her again. He had been imprisoned in the hospital ever since he had 'attacked' her. He was recuperating, but he was still far from a release.

None of the staff would answer his questions and inquires about Lisa Reisert. It was almost as if he were speaking in some foreign language unknown to them. They never replied and it only infuriated him even more.

_All I want is a little goddamn information—some piece of mind. I should have been released ages ago, so why are they still keeping me around? Why won't they tell me about Lisa? _

He had survived all of his potentially fatal wounds. The bullet she had fired at his head had grazed his skull, but he had not suffered any real damage. His brain had been left unharmed. The rest of the bullet holes had healed up nicely.

_Where is Lisa?_

Jackson lifted himself from the hospital bed. Apparently, she had not pressed charges because he was free to wander about the hospital. He was not, however, free to leave. Not yet.

He wandered around, quietly observing the people around him and keeping his ears open and alert for any news that pertained to him or Lisa. He had to find her—he could not live without her. He was obsessed with her.

He could not kill her; even though he was thoroughly pissed at her.

_The joys of being an independent contractor. I am not obligated to kill her. I did not take a job against her. I simply wanted revenge. Revenge of the wrong sort._

"…Reisert. Yeah, she's being wheeled into maternity. Very hush-hush…" Jackson caught snatches of a nurse's conversation.

He bolted for the maternity ward. _Lisa, what happened to you? Why are they sending you there? Are you having a child?_

Then, he remembered. He remembered her crying about a rape and then he, he raped her. Then she crawled away from him to sob and shake. If she was having a baby, it was because of him. He was the father.

He could hear screams with sudden clarity. He had tuned out the other sounds of the noisy hospital. It was Lisa. That was her screaming.

_Lisa, are they hurting you? Lisa? Where are you?_

Frozen pools of ice masked as eyes searched the computer monitor behind the abandoned nurse's station. _Reisert, where is Reisert? Where is my Lisa?_

It suddenly appeared before his eyes. Room 1019—how ironic. _Should I bring you a Sea Breeze too? For old time's sake?_

The screams were louder. He quickened his pace and burst into the room. The doctor at the foot of Lisa's bed gave him an odd look.

"Finally, they sent someone. She's delivering. Scrub in now," the doctor told him.

She thought he was a nurse. Or something. Jackson was not entirely sure what he had been mistaken for.

He glanced over at the woman lying in the bed. It was his beautiful Lisa, clutched in the throws of agony and pain. Her knees were bent—a replacement perhaps?—and she was covered in sweat. The world began to clear again and for the first time since he had been forcibly parted from her, he actually began to think. His brain was in over-drive; plotting to get her back.

Jackson did as he had been instructed and 'scrubbed in'. Rubber gloves on his hands and a mask over his face helped keep germs from passing to the baby. It also helped conceal his identity, but not that Lisa was in a very aware mode at the moment.

"The baby's coming. Just another big push, Lisa," the doctor coached.

He was frozen; staring at small form that was slowly being extracted from Lisa. _His_ child.

He zoned out once more, until the doctor announced, "You have a healthy baby girl, Lisa. Is there anyone I should tell?"

"No," Lisa spoke softly.

The baby was handed off to him and he went to work cleaning up the baby. It was an automatic response—he must have been in the hospital too long.

Dark hair covered her head—his hair. He could not see what color eyes their baby had, but he secretly hoped that it was Lisa's sparkling green. His daughter was angry and screaming at bright world that she had been born into. _Just like your mother…_

"I'll be right back," the doctor said before exiting the room.

Jackson wrapped up the newborn and walked over to the exhausted Lisa.

"Can I hold her?" she asked him weakly, her arms reaching out for her baby.

"We did good, didn't we, Leese?" he questioned her, his voice falsely cheery. "She's a perfect mix. Very angry just like you though… but she has my hair…"

"Who are you?" Lisa demanded, shrinking back into the bed and reached towards a nurse call button.

"Why, Lisa, it's me," he smirked, removing his mask with one hand while cradling the baby in the other. "Who'd you think it was?"

Lisa screamed and fumbled for the call button.

"You press that button and I drop the baby," he warned, hissing in her ear. "Want to see if she survives a fall to the hard floor?"

She shook but made no move towards the button. "Please, don't hurt her. She has nothing to do with this."

"Actually, she has everything to do with this. If you think I'm gone, then you're sadly mistaken Lisa. I'll never be gone."

"What do you want, Jackson? What is that you want?"

"I just want you, Leese. It's as simple as that. And I won't stop until I get what I want."

She started to sob. _Waterworks again, Lisa? How pathetic you are. _

"Consider this a friendly warning: try to run and I'll kill our child. I never let go of what's mine."

"Please, you don't have to do this…" Lisa begged, more afraid for her child's life than her own.

"I'll see you soon, Lisa. I promise," he sneered as he wandered towards the door. "And we both know that I never lie."

With that, he stalked out of her room carrying their newborn daughter. Lisa's cries could still be heard until he was far away.

_I never fail… I always get what I want. She'll come back to me. It's only a matter of time…_

Jackson Rippner was no longer content to hang around the hospital. As a matter of fact, he escaped less than an hour later, with Lisa's baby in tow. It was his child as well… his leverage to getting back the only thing that mattered.

_Lisa…_

**Author's Notes:**

Okay, that's a very cliffie ending, but it'll lead into a new story. I don't know what it will be called it, but it will most likely be from Lisa's POV as she struggles with what he's done to her and fights to get her baby back. I know, I thought I'd kill Jackson off in this story, but that's for the next one. Thanks so much for all the reviews and encouragement!


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